Improvement in automatic fans



G. A. C. MEYER. Automatic Pan.

aitente'd May 7 1878. l

WITNESSES v Z. I I

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIoE.

GUs'rAv A. C. MEYER, 0F HANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT- IN AUTOMATIC FANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 203,358; dated May 7, 187 8; application filed March 12, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV A. G. MEYER, of Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Driving Attachment to Chairs, of which the following is a specification: i

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a front view of a chair with my improved driving attachment Fig. 2, a sectional side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a detailed top view, partly in section, on line am, Fig. 1, of the actuating mechanism for operating fans or setting machinery in motion; and Fig. 4 is a top View, partly in section, on line 3 3 Fig. 1, showing method of suspending the fans at the side of the chair.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to provide chairs with a driving attachment that is operated by the weight of the body seated in the chair, for the purpose of setting fans, sewing-machines, lathes, or other small machinery in motion without any effort or exertion by the occupant of the chair.

The invention consists of a seat-frame supported on strong springs, and guided by antifriction rollers on rails of the corner-posts of the supporting-frame of the chair. The lowering of the seat-frame by the weight of the body causes the engagement by a fixed vertical rack-bar of the seat with a suitable transmitting wheel train and mechanism. The rack-bar is guided along an anti-friction roller bearing on its rear side, and the seat and rackbar are elevated by the springs by raising the body from time to time from the chair.

The speed of the transmitting mechanism is regulated by an anchor-escapement and fan-governor; as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

By referring to the drawing, A represents the supporting-frame of a chair, and B an independent seat-frame, which is guided by antifriction rollers a at the corners along rails of the corner-posts of the supporting-frame A. The seat -frame rests on elliptic or other springs, O, that are applied to the under side of the seat and to the top part of the supportin g-frame A. A vertical rack-bar, D, is rigidly secured to the under side of the seat-frame, at

the center thereof, and extended through a guide-hole of the top plate of the frame A, be-

low the same, and guided by an anti-friction roller, b, that bears on the rear side of the rack-bar. The rack-bar D engages the pinion of a lateral shaft, to which a transmitting gear-wheel, d, with spring mechanism is applied. The ratchet mechanism serves to lock the gear-wheel to the shaft when the rack-bar is descending, so as to actuatethepower-transmittingmechanism. When the rack-bar is raised by the action of the springs the gear-wheel turns looselyv on its shaft. The gear-wheel transmits the motion imparted by the rack-bar to a train of gearwheels, E, which is arranged in analogous manner as in a clock-train, and regulated in corresponding manner by an anchor or other suitable escapement. The train of gear-wheels E finally sets in motion avertical-shaft with a spur-wheel, e, that engages spring-pawls f, to-

the arms of which connecting-cords f are fastened, that pass through openings at the sides of the casing of the transmitting mechanism to crank-arms of the hinged and balanced fans F, that are hung to forked springsupports F, applied to the sides of the supporting-frame A.

The spur-wheel e engages alternately the spring-arms f, and sets thereby the fans alternately in motion, so as to cause the continuous fanning of the occupant of the chair. The regulating-escapement of the transmitting train of wheels neutralizes the difference in the weight of the persons sitting on the chair, and secures the uniform motion of the fans.

Instead of fans, belt and pulley mechanism, or other equivalent means may be employed andconnected to the driving-shaft of a sewingmachine, lathe, or other small machinery, which may be thereby, by the weight of the body of the occupant, set in motion without the least exertion, it simply requiring the lifting of the body from time to time, so that the rack-bar and seat are returned into raised position by the action of their cushioning-springs, and admit the working of the machine by the driving force imparted by the weight of the body and the transmitting mechanism to the machine.

Having thus fully described my invention, I

pawl and ratchet the supporting-frame, substantially as speoi- 3. The combination, with a vertically movable and guided seat-frame, having fixed. rackbar, withsteadying-roller bearing on its rear side, and with driving and speed-regulating mechanism attached to the supporting-frame of the chair, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

GUSTAV A. O. MEYER.

Witnesses:

- J osHUA VAN BROWN,

EDGAR G. HAYS. 

